Lips are one of the most sensual parts of a woman's face. A change in their size, shape and color can noticeably effect her beauty. Use of lip make-up enables a woman to perfect her lips in size, shape and color. In choosing the right color for her lips, a woman may consider the following: color of her hair, color of her skin, color of her eyes, the style and color of her dress and accessories, the purpose of the occasion, and her mood. That is why lip make-up plays such an essential roll in a woman's overall appearance.
The majority of cosmetic products that fall within the lip make-up category are lipsticks, lip liners, lip pencils, lip glosses and lip foundations. The consistency of these lip make-up products vary from solid, to semi-solid to liquid, which, for lipsticks and lip liners, the solid is the most common form.
The majority of lipsticks on the market are available in a cylinder tapered like shape with 1/2 inch diameter at the bottom. The upper part of the lipstick bullet is available in a number of different shapes, including fishtail, chisel cut, teardrop and contoured.
The bottom portion of the lipstick bullet fits into a "cup". This cup is raised and lowered in the lipstick container, thereby raising and lowering the bullet to the perfect height for application. Besides the shape and the color differences, all lip products may differentiate from each other in texture, in shimmer on the lips, in taste and aroma, in color-lasting property, in the treatment properties, in feeling on the lips, in moisturizing properties, in featherproofing properties, etc.
Feathering--"Bleeding" of lip cosmetics refers to the extension of color beyond an edge or border, especially so as to combine with a contiguous color or to affect an adjacent area. Bleeding usually occurs by lip color running in the lip's wrinkled area and onto the skin surrounding the lips.
The main function of a lip liner is to provide a fine line around the lips. Contouring (outlining) the lips gives a woman the freedom to change the shape and size of her lips, enhance them, and improve the overall aesthetic impact of her make-up.
In recent years, a new trend toward the use of lip liners has increased in popularity. There are new properties for lip liners which they may possess in addition to their traditional function of providing a line around the lips. Some of these new properties are moisturization treatment and featherproofing.
The diameter of the lip liner's lead is normally much smaller (thinner) than the diameter of the lipstick's bullet. It may vary from 1/16 to 1/8 inch.
The density (strength) of a lip liner's lead is normally higher (stronger) than the density of a lipstick bullet, to allow the lip liner's lead to withstand the pressure of application.
A lip liner becomes a lip pencil when the lead is surrounded with wood (inserted in wood, as in a pencil) that supports the lead. The lead of a lip pencil, therefore, may be softer than that of a lip liner due to the support of the pencil for the lead.
All lip product formulations available in the solid form, including lipsticks, lip liners, lip pomades, lip glosses, etc., can be described with reference to the following groups of ingredients: Wax group, Fats/Semi Solids group, Viscous Oils group, Thin Oils group, Colorants group, Anti Oxidants, Preservatives and Fragrances(s). In addition a vast majority of contemporary lip products may contain some active ingredients, such as: vitamins, sunscreens, proteins and other special treatment ingredients.